Library Notes

Julian Pace, an emeritus professor of Library Science at Missouri State University, passed on January 12, 2022 at the age of 83. He was born in Abilene, Texas, but received most of his formal education in Waco, Texas, including a BA in history from Baylor University. He earned his Master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Oklahoma in 1963.  Julian became the Director of library services at Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, Missouri, where he oversaw the…

Read More Read More

Jessica Bennett and Tracy Stout, two members of the Library Science faculty at Missouri State University, recently had an article published in the December 2021 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Public Services Quarterly. Their article, titled Changing the service model: utilizing tutor center models for reference desk redesign, outlined the process for researching, designing, and implementing a new space and service model. This process began in 2015 with the challenge to update and rethink the current service model and space…

Read More Read More

While the MSU Libraries has no direct involvement in this upcoming online conversation, part of the mission of the MSU Libraries is to support research, scholarship, publications, and literacy. The author Margaret Sulllivan has roots in Springfield and the Ozarks, and Professors Madden and Schmalzbauer are faculty members at Missouri State University. Join us Wednesday, February 2nd at 7 PM CST for a Virtual Author Event with Margaret Sullivan in conversation with Dr. Etta Madden and Dr. John Schmalzbauer, exploring…

Read More Read More

David Adams, Associate Professor and a member of the Library Science faculty at Missouri State University for the past 24 years, plans to retire on May 1, 2022. However, using accrued vacation, he plans to take off most of the month of April. David came to MSU in November 1997, when Karen Horny was Dean of Library Services, to serve as Head of the Library Systems Department. He was a major contributor in the successful migration from the NOTIS online…

Read More Read More

As we all are aware, this week’s Clif Notes articulated MSU’s general response to the current Omicron surge. The Greene County rolling seven-day average for reported and confirmed COVID cases (nearly all of them Omicron) is at the highest to date.   I encourage you to read President Smart’s message carefully, because it contains important information about the university’s mitigation strategies. This LibNotes article highlights how these protocols affect the Duane G. Meyer Library building and the people who use it….

Read More Read More

In November 2021 a new general history of libraries was published. The Library: A Fragile History was co-authored by Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen, both of whom are affiliated with the University of St. Andrews, a public university in Scotland. The new book has been published in the U.S. by Basic Books.  The authors note that throughout the millennia, libraries have been in a constant state of flux and reconceptualization. Hence the fragility. They assert that “no society has…

Read More Read More

Dr. Robert Flanders, emeritus professor of History at Missouri State University, died last month at the age of 91. In addition to being excellent in the areas of teaching, research, and service for 27 years at SMS/MSU, Dr. Flanders also was an integral member of the group that founded the Center for Ozark Studies, now called the Ozarks Studies Institute (OSI), including serving as its director. More recently, for several years now the OSI has been an ongoing program of…

Read More Read More

Craig Amason, Associate Director of the Ozarks Folklife Festival for the Missouri State University Libraries, has been awarded a 2022 Center for Missouri Studies Fellowship for his proposed study, “The Impact of Immigration in McDonald County in the 21st Century.”  Here’s the announcement from the State Historical Society of Missouri. Note that another Springfieldian, Connie Yen, also received a fellowship. “The State Historical Society of Missouri will award Center for Missouri Studies fellowships in 2022 to scholars working on projects…

Read More Read More

For two hours one day during Finals Week this week, the high anxiety of preparing to take final exams during the current pandemic was brightened by a visit from several pet therapy dogs from Pet Therapy of the Ozarks.  Pet Therapy of the Ozarks, Inc. is a not-for profit Missouri Corporation organized to provide emotional therapy visits to nursing homes, hospitals, schools and other facilities. They are based in Springfield, Missouri and serve institutions within a 50 mile radius. As…

Read More Read More